Charge Injection and Generation in Nematic Liquid Crystal Cells

Charge injection and generation in nematic liquid crystal (NLC) cells have been studied by measuring the steady state currents and capacitances of NLC cells. The steady state current is attributable to the charge injection from the electrode at the lower applied dc voltages, while the steady state current is due to the generation of mobile ions by the Poole-Frenkel effect in the NLC bulk at the higher applied dc voltages. The width of electrical double layers, the desorption energy of the ions, and the interionic spacing of the positive and negative ions created by the Poole-Frenkel effect are estimated from the steady state current data.